Loose-leaf binder



A ER M, 1931. c. D. TRUSSELL LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed June 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Cwzwfl %ml% By Attorneys, 7141 0 A ril 14, 1931. c. D. TRUSSELL 1,300,268

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed June 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6.

INVENTOR B yfAtio neys,

45" ing plate after being pressed intoshape,

"Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED v STATES PATIENT OFFICE- CLABENCE D. TBUSSELL,

- NEW'YOBIK OF POUGHKEEIPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 TBUSSEL'L HAN'UFAC'I'URZNG COMPANY, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Application filed June 18,

' This invention relates to loose leaf binders "ofthe book type having mating prongs or half rings which enga e the perforated Y margins of the leaves. 6 make these prongs or .hooks with a spring mounting so that they snap together when closed, and when opened are held by sprlng 1 pressure against closing. One customary construction is to mount the half rings or 1 hooks on. separate hook plates which have a rocking engagement at their inner edges reacting outwardly against the inturned flanges of a bowed spring plate. Such loose leaf mechanism is commonly applied to the book cover by means of an outer binding plate having prongs or ears passing through the back of the cover'and clinched down upon the spring back plate or upon a binding plate interposed between such spring plate and the inner face of the back of the cover.

The presentinvention relates to improved details of construction, including means for operating the hook plates in order to open or close the rings. It also relates to the fastening means for connecting the loose leaf binding mechanism to the cover back. In the accompanying drawings, which illus- 36 trate a suitable embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a fragment of a loose leaf ring back, the cover sides being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a similar view in transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan partlybroken away in section of the binding mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal mid-section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the outer back portion of the book. v Fig. 6 shows the punching'from which the skeletonized outer binding plate is formed.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of this bindwith its fastening ears turned up.

Fig. 8 is a plan of the back plate. Fig. 9 is a plan of the spring plate.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one'of the t is customary to 1927. Serial No. 199,199.

ring-opening levers in its relation with the hook plate. a

Fi 11 is a similar view showing one of the ring-closing levers. v Referring to the drawings, A designates as a whole the lose leaf binding mechanism, and B the book cover. The mechanism A may be of any suitable type, being shownas composed of half rings or hooks a, a mounted on hook plates 7), b which have a rockin engagement at their inner-or adjacent e ges, and at their outer edges are supported in the inturned hookedflanges of a spring plate 0. A cover plated covers over thevtop of the plates 6, b and makes an attractive finish.

The cover B is shown as formed of a single piece of leather or similar material, being preferably formed with longitudinal grooves e, e at each side of its rounded-back portion for affording a flexible hinge connection betweep the sides and back of the cover, as is usua For fastening the binding-mechanism A to the cover, an outer back plate or binding plate C is provided. This has ears f, f proectln from it at intervals, these ears bein passe through holes in the leather an clinched down upon the edges of an inner back plate D whereby to clamp tne back portion of the cover firmly between these plates.

The plates are preferably made curved: in

cross-section so as to give the desirable rounded form to the book back. The inner back plate D has on its ends, ears g g which are turned up, entering notches h, formed in the. ends of the spring plate 0 and are clinched down upon the top of the spring plate so as to hold'the latter, and consequently the entire lose leaf binder mechanism se curely in place with respect to the cover.

The outer binding plate C is of novel construction. With certain books it is desirable to form cross-bars on the book back at inter vals; and for this purpose metal cross-pieces or hubs have been provided having projecting ears which are passed through the middleof the back and clinched down upon the inner face of the leather. These hubs have sometimes been sunken into recesses of the outer face of the leather back so as not to project beyond the leather. Such hubs have -to be separately applied to the book back,

'7'. With the plate thusblanked out it is which is laborious. The present invention provides for connecting the cross-pieces or hubs to ether by forming them in one plate or punching, as shown in Fig. 6. This plate C has transverse bands or hub portions 11, i at intervals connected by a longltudinal strip on Y necessary, when the ears f have been turned up at right angles and when the cover has had corresponding holes pierced through it to receive these ears, to apply the one plate to the cover back, inserting its ears through such holes and then apply the inner back plate D against the inner face of the cover back to clinch the ears f, f down so as to embrace the marginal portions of the plate D entering notches 7:, 70 therein. The spring plate has a series of openings 0' coinciding with the bent ears f and which may be entered by the latter to make the metal parts lie as close together as possible.

It is desirable to sink the strip j into the leatheras well as the cross-bars i, z.

It is-desirable in such ring books to provide ;means for conveniently springing the hooksapart and pressing them together. For this purpose opening. and closing levers have been provided. According to the present invention the openingl levers consist of crossed metal arms F, F, shownbe'st 'in Fig. 1, and one of which is shown in Fig. 10. These arms are punched from sheet metal, the plane of which-is transverse to the direction of the several plates, including the hook plates 6, b. Each arm F is formed with an elongated slot p and the'end of the hook plate is cut out to form a flat projection or tenon g which entersthe slot 1;. The two-plates F, F pass upwardly through a slot 1- in the cover plate (1 near. its end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and

this slot serves to hold the plates in their proper planes and prevents them from becoming disengaged from the hook plates 1). The arms Fare preferably turned laterally at s so as to form finger pieces which may be grasped and pressed together 1n order to open the books or rin s.

The closing plates G areshown best in Fig. 2, one of them being shownin Fig. 11. They are similar to the plates F, F except that they do not cross each other but project directly upward so that both may work in one slot t in the op osite end of the cover plate (1. Each arm (i is formed with a slot p and each plate I) is formed with a projection or tenon 9' (Fig. 11) which enters the slot p,

so that when the hooks are open, the pressing together of the arms G. G tilts the hook plates and closes the hooks. These parts are readily assembled and are held in their proper position by the cover 1plate when thls is sl(ipped over the spring p ate. The arms G, J are desirably turned back at a to form finger pieces.

The entire construction shown makes a.

v veryasim 1e and easily made and assembled binder o desirable operation, and one which is durable and efiective. Y

The invention may be modified to some extent within the soope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: r

1. A loose-leaf book comprising a binding mechanism and a cover, the latter formed of one piece of leather-like material, and a skeletonized metal back-plate applied to the exterior of the cover ack and having means passing through the cover for fastening the binding mechanism to the cover.

2. A loose-leaf book comprising a binding mechanism and a cover, the latter formed of a one piece of leather-like material, and a skeletonized metal back-plate applied to the exterior of the cover back to present a composite outer back surface of cover material and metal. I 3. A loose-leaf book comprising'a binding mechanism and a cover, the latter formed of one piece of leather-like material, and a skeletonized metal back-plate applied to the exterior of the cover back comprising crossbars of metal united by a longitudinal portion. whereby all are handled as one unit in applying to the book-back.

4. A- loose-leaf book comprising a binding mechanism and a cover, with a metal bind ing-plate on the outer back of thecover and a back plate on the inner side of the cover P back, the binding-plate having lateral ears passing through the cover and clinching on the sides of the back-plate, and the binding mechanism including a spring-plate fastened to the back-plate and ciding with such clinched ears to admit the latter and enable the spring-plate to closely overlie the back-plate.

5. A loose-leaf book comprising a binding mechanism having hook-plates carrying mating hooks, and operating means therefor comprising a pair of arms united to the ends of said plates at one end of the book-back and projecting into position to be moved toward cover-plate overlying the hook-plates, having transverse slots or the passage of the operhavlng openings coinating arms, adapted to guide said arms in their movements.

9. A book according to claim 5, the arms being in planes transverse to the plates and having slots and the hook-plates having 1projections entering such slots to unite the p ate and arms, and with a cover-plate overlying the hook-plates, having transverse slots for the passage of the arms, whereby the arms are held in engagement with the projections on the plates.

10. A loose-leaf book comprising a binding mechanism and a cover with s aced transverse cross-pieces of metal app ied at intervals on the outer back of the cover and sunk into the material thereof, each having ears projecting beyond its ends at the sides of the book back, and clinched down internally thereof.

11. A loose-leaf book comprising a binding a mechanism and a cover with transverse crosspieces of metal applied at intervals on the outer back of the cover and sunk into the material thereof, each having ears projecting beyond its ends at the sides of the book back, bent up, and passing through the cover, and a plate on the inner side of the cover, said ears cllinched down against the side edges of said p ate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. a

' CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL.-

bent up, passing through the cover V I 

